THE SIXTH BOOKE OF

THE FAERIE QUEENE

CONTAYNING

THE LEGEND OF SIR CALIDORE OR OF COURTESIE.

I.

THE waies, through which my weary fteps

I guyde

In this delightfull land of Faery,
Are fo exceeding fpacious and wyde,
And fprinckled with fuch sweet variety
Of all that pleasant is to eare or eye,
That I, nigh ravifht with rare thoughts
delight,

My tedious travell doe forget thereby ; And, when I gin to feele decay of might, It strength to me fupplies and chears my dulled fpright.

II.

Such fecret comfort and fuch heavenly pleafures,

Ye facred Imps, that on Parnaffo dwell, And there the keeping have of Learnings threafures

Which doe all worldly riches farre excell,

Into the mindes of mortall men doe well,
And goodly fury into them infuse;

Guyde ye my footing, and conduct me well
In these ftrange waies where never foote did
ufe,

Ne none can find but who was taught them by

the Mufe:

III.

Revele to me the facred nourfery

Of Vertue, which with you doth there
remaine,

Where it in filver bowre does hidden ly
From view of men and wicked worlds dif-

daine';

Since it at firft was by the Gods with paine
Planted in earth, being deriv'd at furst
From heavenly feedes of bounty foveraine,
And by them long with carefull labour nurst,

II. 5.

to flow.

CHURCH.

doe well,] That is, cause

Negat enim

II. 6. And goodly fury into them infufe,] fine furore Democritus quenquam poetani magnum effe poffe.” Cicero, De Divin. i. 37. See alfo Ovid, Met. ii. 640. "Ergo ubi fatidicos concepit mente furores "Incaluitque deo." UPTON.

II. 8. In these strange waies &c.] Lucretius, L. i. 925.
"Avia Pieridum peragro loca, nullius ante
"Trita folo." JORTIN.

III: 5.

with paine] With difficulty. Fr. peine, The virtues are tranfplanted from heaven: thefe are flowers that grow with difficulty in this lower and wicked world. From heaven is derived every good and perfect gift, as the Apostle tells us. Compare F. Q. iii. v. 52, iv. viii. 33. UPTON.

Till it to ripeneffe grew, and forth to honour

burft.

IV.

Amongst them all growes not a fayrer flowre
Then is the bloofme of comely Courtefie;
Which though it on a lowly stalke doe bowre,
Yet brancheth forth in brave nobilitie,
And fpreds itselfe through all civilitie:
Of which though present age doe plenteous
feeme,

Yet, being matcht with plaine antiquitie, Ye will them all but fayned fhowes esteeme, Which carry colours faire that feeble eies mifdeeme:

V.

But, in the triall of true Curtefie,

Its now fo farre from that which then it was,

That it indeed is nought but forgerie,

Fashion'd to please the eies of them that pas,
Which fee not perfect things but in a glas:
Yet is that glaffe fo gay that it can blynd

The wifeft fight, to thinke gold that is bras:

IV. 9. of. UPTON. V. 5. Which fee not perfect things but in a glas:] Not perfect things, i. e. not perfectly, darkly: in divinati, i. e. amyparwows, 1 Cor. xii. 12. “For now we fee through a glafs darkly.” βλέπομεν γὰρ ἄρτι δ' ἐσόπερες ἐν ἀινίγματι. Our tranfalors take oogor, not for what reflects the image, Speculum; as Spenfer does: but for fpeculare, a transparent cryftal, or stone, or horn. UPTON.

that feeble cies mifdeeme:] Judge wrongly

V. 6.

gay,] Glaring. CHURCH.

But Vertues feat is deepe within the mynd, And not in outward fhows but inward thoughts defynd.

VI.

But where shall I in all antiquity

So faire a patterne finde; where may be feene
The goodly praife of princely Curtefie,
As in Yourselfe, O foveraine Lady Queene?
In whofe pure minde, as in a mirrour fheene,
It fhowes, and with her brightneffe doth in-
flame

The

eyes of all which thereon fixed beene; But meriteth indeede an higher name:

VI. 8. But &c.] Perhaps name fhould be changed into fame in the laft line, or last but one, of this stanza; that name may not rhyme to itself. But the fame fault is to be found in F. Q. iii. iii. 22. JORTIN.

The following inftance is nearer to the point, F. Q. iii. xi. 47. But fee the note there. A parallel inftance is in this very Book, C. iii. ft. 21. But as they are both triplets, the poet (as I have already obferved) feems to have been lefs folicitous about the rhyme than the words, which, particularly in the prefent inftance, are, I think, aptly chofen. By name, in the eighth line, is meant appellation; in the laft line it fignifies character. Spenser had more exalted notions of Courtesy than what were usually affixed to the court-like or courteous behaviour of a Court. Comely courtefie (fays he, ft. 4.)

"though it on a lowly stalke doe bowre,

"Yet brancheth forth in brave nobilitie,

"And spreads itselfe through all civilitie

Alluding to this, he afterwards pays the highest compliment to his Princefs. Courtefie (fays he)

"meriteth indeede an higher name:

"Yet fo, from low to high, uplifted is your Name." As if he had faid; I would willingly find out fome higher name or appellation than that of Courtefie, whereby to express

Yet fo, from low to high, uplifted is your Name.

VII.

Then pardon me, moft dreaded Soveraine,
That from Yourselfe I doe this Vertue bring,
And to Yourfelfe doe it returne againe :
So from the ocean all rivers spring,
And tribute backe repay as to their king:
Right fo from you all goodly vertues well
Into the reft which round about you ring,
Faire Lords and Ladies which about you
dwell,

And doe adorne your Court where Courtefies excell.

that humble, affable, obliging difpofition which fo eminently dif tinguishes your Name or Character from all the amiable Characters in all antiquity. CHURCH.

VII. 6.

A

well] Flow. As all rivers come from the fea, Ecclef. i. 7. So from you, O Queen, all goodly virtues do originally pour themfelves into the rest of the nobility. Upton.

VII. 7.

which round about you ring,] That is, CHURCH.

which encircle you. Alluding to the Ring at Court.